IPCC to take over investigation into complaint against van officers
The IPPC are to independently investigate a complaint by Claris Powell, made following the jury’s verdict at the Inquest into the death of her son, Mikey, in a police van on the way to a police station.
The IPCC made this decision on 27 May 2011, after Claris Powell threatened to judicially review their decision to allow West Midlands Police themselves to investigate the complaint against their own officers.
An Inquest jury found on December 18 2009 that Mikey had died in the back of a police van of positional asphyxia. The jury found that Mikey had been put in the police van on his side; that he had been transported to the police station “in between” being on his side and on his front; and that he was “on his front” when he arrived at the police station. The danger of positional asphyxia is greater to someone on their front than on their side.
The Powell family have announced a candlelight vigil to be held in memory of Mikey Powell who was 
